Manila-based firm eyes lab services market with Cebu expansion

Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigo (right), Kaiser Medical Center Inc. director, leads Wednesday’s opening of the Kaiser Medical Center at the SM Seaside City. With him is Anna Marie M. Julian, operations manager of the center.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

RECOGNIZING the growing market for laboratory services, a Manila-based company opened its second Cebu diagnostic center that uses state-of-the art technology.

Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigo, medical director of Kaiser Medical Center, said there is a continued demand for diagnostic centers
Kaiser Medical Center, the medical services arm of the Kaiser International Health Group, Inc. Philippines, opened another branch at the SM Seaside City, the second facility in Cebu.

According to Rodrigo, offering medical diagnostic services has become a lucrative business because there’s a growing demand for their services.

Rodrigo explained that viruses are constantly evolving so there’s a need for more sophisticated laboratory examinations to specify which strain is present.

He cited as example the hepatitis virus, when it was first discovered there was only Hepatitis A but then another strain, the Hepatitis B was discovered. Then another strain was observed and was named Hepatitis C and still another strain has been identified, he added.

This meant that laboratory technology have to be updated constantly to address this continuing emergence of new virus strains.

Since these virus strains are similar to each other, there’s a need to identify which strain is present and at what stage the infection is at.

For this reason, more physicians and clinicians require laboratory tests to identify specific virus strain since each strain requires different treatments, he explained.

The first Kaiser Medical Center was established in Makati to support its affiliate, Kaiser International Healthcare, one of the best HMO in the Philippines, said Rodrigo.

Although initially, the first Kaiser Medical Center was set up to serve healthcare clients, he said, they also accommodated walk-in patients and industrial accounts.

Their first medical center in Cebu is located at the Mactan Economic Zone 1.

Rodrigo maintained that the medical equipment at their facility is at par with major hospitals in Cebu and Manila.

“Our medical equipment are top-of-the line and are similar to those used in major hospitals like Cebu Doctors and Chong Hua Hospital,” Rodrigo pointed out.

In fact, he said, the Department of Health has given a rating of excellent to their medical center in MEZ 1.

The company’s third medical center located at the lower ground floor of SM Seaside City operates seven days a week, from six in the morning to nine in the evening.

So far, it is the biggest in terms of floor space when compared to the first two branches.

Because it is located at the mall, then patients can have their laboratory tests then instead of waiting for the results to be released, spend time at the mall, shopping or watching a movie and then return to the diagnostic center to get the results, according to Rodrigo.

A fourth branch will be opening soon at SM City Cebu.

According to Dr. Rodrigo, Kaiser Medical Center charges very competitive rates when compared to other diagnostic centers and much lower rates than those charged by hospital laboratories.

Aside from diagnostic and laboratory services, Kaiser Medical Center also provides immediate quality medical care and consultation.

Aside from diagnostic and laboratory services, Kaiser Medical Center also provides immediate quality medical care and consultation.

Its services include consultation and preventive care, executive check-up, pre-employment examination, annual physical examination, digital radiography, cardiology, ultrasound and maternal care services.

Laboratory services such as CBC, uric acid, FBS, lipid panel, creatinine, urea, triglyceride, cholesterol, oral glucose tolerance, Hepatitis A and B, and syphilis.

Other services include X-ray and ultrasound, such as 3D and 2D echo.
The X-ray uses computer sonography so the processing of the image takes less than a minute. However, the X-ray results will be released the next day.